Showing posts with label poverty v wealth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poverty v wealth. Show all posts

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Life's Little Contrasts...

While I was out getting some exercise, this morning, I walked past a sad little scene.

The bailiff's were removing a young Mum and her two kids from their house.

Both kids were clinging to their Mum and screaming and she was tearfully asking if she could please go back inside and get some of their things.

One bailiff was telling her no, that she would have to talk to the judge to arrange a time. The other bailiff was standing by while somebody hammered an 'Owned By Bank' sign into the front lawn.

Sadly, this is a situation that is being enacted, all over the country, to good, honest, hard working people.

People who, often through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times.

I see this at the school I volunteer at. More and more of the kids, that I work with , are living in shelters or motels. Listed in the ranks of 'homeless'.

Most of them eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at school. Because the school has a high percentage of children who qualify, all the meals are free. Without those meals, many of the kids would not get three meals a day. I'm not going to start on the quality of those meals. I'll save that for another post. Suffice to say, that if that is the only food those kids are getting, it needs to be nutritious!!

The school has a store of clothing, school supplies, etc, that is donated to help these kids. Some of them get their first pair of socks, when they start school..

It's heartbreaking..

Then I came home and read, online, all about how Josh & Fergie had tied the knot.

Apparently their wedding cost a rumored $1.5 million.

I wish those two all the happiness in the world.

I also realise that it's their money. They earned it. It's theirs to spend whichever way they want to...

However, there is also this little voice inside me that is asking 'How much food and clothing, would that $1.5 million have bought for these kids?'